Fire Emblem: Youth's Hope
by Fiery Diamond
Summary: Asch, rescued from his village's destruction by a beautiful blue-haired girl, takes up the sword and sallies forth with her in a grand adventure. Together, they and their companions learn of the past...and the future...of the mystic Fire Emblem.
1. Chapter 1: Escape from Milander

------------------------------------Fire Emblem: Youth's Hope--------------------------------------

STORY INTRODUCTION:

Hello everyone. This is Fiery Diamond, greeting all people who may read this story. This is my first work that I would call fanfiction. Honestly, it was because of some of the quality work on this site that I considered fanfiction worthwhile! Congrats, guys and gals! Anyway, I think it's important for me to make a few things clear from the get go.

1) I always start long stories, but don't often finish. I'll try to update once a week or so, but if I don't get any sort of feedback for a long time, the story may die. Just warning you so it doesn't surprise anyone if it happens.

2) IMPORTANT: This story features entirely original characters and setting. However, the story is based on many Fire Emblem themes, including but not limited to A) the combat system (semi-loosely), B) the character class system, C) how a lot of stuff works (such as specific weaponry and items), D) the theme of there being a "fire emblem," E) hair colors and stuff, and F) chapter format (non-combat story=combat=non-combat story).

3) The chapters will vary in length. By a lot. Also, it may take a little while to get into the story. If you would, please refrain from making any negative reviews until I have at least 3 chapters up. I won't complain about being complimented though :).

4) I'll have some "extra" stuff at the beginning or end of each chapter.

5) The polishing will be minimal, at least to begin with, because I am lazy. I like to write, so I have a lot of practice with it, though, so it should be decent anyway. I'll probably go back and shine things up a bit later, but because I'm lazy, who knows?

6) Enjoy.

-----------------------------------------Part One: From the Ashes---------------------------------------

PART INTRODUCTION:

At some later point I'll probably have some kind of prologue here, but I haven't written it yet, so I don't. In any case, this is the first "part" of the story, divided similarly to the way some of the games were. My part and chapter titles are attempts to sound something like what actual Fire Emblem titles would sound like. Yes, the pun of Part One's title is really obvious – the main character, Asch, has his town burned and thus begins his adventure.

---------------------------------Chapter One: Escape from Milander----------------------------------------

Asch gripped the iron-bladed sword in his hands, sweating profusely as his feet pounded the ground. He had to escape from the axe-wielding bandits who had set fire to half the town. In his fifteen years, the brown-haired blacksmith's son had never felt such fear coursing through his body. His eyes were wide and his teeth held firmly together, locked in position by terror. His mother and father's yells for him to run as the wicked axes chopped into them still rang in his ears, as did the screams and the crackling of the flames which devoured all. He flew more swiftly than ever before, driven only by the terror of death and the drive for survival.

His shoe hit a rock jutting out of the ground as he tried to turn a corner to run around the shell of what had once been the main store and he crashed into the rubble at his feet, scraping through the cloth of his shirt and pants and tearing wounds into his arms and legs. Quickly rising to his feet, he heard the sounds of brigands laughing in delight as another nearby building burst into flame. Still holding onto the sword his father had crafted, he cast a terrified glance backwards before taking flight once again. If he made it to the edge of town he might have a chance to survive.

How many minutes passed in his terrified run for the gates he had no clue; time seemed to have no meaning in the face of the indescribable fear and burning yearning for life. Burnt and burning homes and fields flew past, and the corpses of friends and neighbors lay strewn across the horrid landscape. Sanity and reasonable thought had all but left Asch by the time he had reached the gate, where he stopped dead, paralyzed by the sight that met him.

Four tall and muscle-bound men with chipped and twisted axes stood scattered near the gate, laughing to each other as they sorted through possessions they had stolen from the inhabitants of the town. The largest one, a black-haired, shirtless monster with a scar that crossed from above his left eye to the right underside of his chin, noticed the frozen boy and pointed him out to his comrades.

"Well, lookie here, what do we got? If it ain't a kid tryin' to run away from us! Ain't that the best, guys?"

The four of them laughed uproariously at their leader's joke. One of them replied, "And he's got a liddle sword, too! Think he's gonna try to kill us, mate?" They all laughed again.

"Well then, why don't we see what the laddie can do, boys?" the leader answered, hefting his axe. The other three readied their axes, grinning. The one closest to Asch ran up to him and swung sideways at the boy.

Suddenly, Asch was no longer frozen in place. His consciousness snapped back into full functionality as his body moved on its own to dodge the blade, swinging his sword two-hand two knock the axe aside. On instinct, he followed it up with an attack, bring his weapon down toward his assailant's shoulder.

The bandit hopped back, cursing in surprise and pain, as the sword made a shallow cut into his muscle, rending his already tattered shirt. He glared at Asch with hatred and spat at the ground in front of him, readjusting his grip on his axe.

"You little brat, how dare you try to cut me! I'll carve you into mincemeat!"

The brigand stepped forward and swung again, bringing his axe down full-force from above. By some unknown reflex, the villager ducked to the side and simultaneously slashed sideways across the enemy's stomach, creating a huge gash and covering his sword in blood. The bandit screamed and tried once more to strike the youth, but a stab through the chest finished him, and he fell over backwards as Asch pulled out his weapon.

There was a period of stunned silence. The boy stared at his hands, which were covered with the blood of his enemy, numbed. He had practiced with swords before for enjoyment, since his father was a blacksmith who primarily worked with farm tools but also crafted swords for special customers, but he had never actually fought before, and he had certainly never killed. The other bandits also stared, mostly in surprise that such a slight boy had managed to take out one of them without getting so much as a scratch. Then the leader smiled.

"Well, well. It seems the kid can fight. Let's not give him a chance to do any more killin'!" The three of them circled around Asch as he looked up from his reverie. Then they attacked.

Survival was of the utmost importance in Asch's mind as he attempted to dodge or parry every blow from his assailants, striking back whenever the opportunity presented itself. Blow after blow, the fight continued for nearly a minute. Asch had several serious injuries, as well as many more minor ones. He had managed to cripple one of his opponents, but the leader and the remaining one had received little more than nicks from his sword. The blacksmith's son knew that he wasn't going to be able to escape from this battle, but he fought on nonetheless, determined in spite of everything to survive. The uninjured underling raised his axe for a death blow, and Asch brought his sword to defend. He was too slow.

Suddenly, the axe inches away from killing Asch, the bandit screamed and jerked to the side. As the brutish man fell to the ground and the axe slipped from his fingers, the villager noticed that an arrowhead was poking through the front of the man's throat. He glanced up towards the gate, from which the arrow must have come, and he saw a ray of hope. A well-built and beautiful girl wearing traveler's clothing stood atop the fence, arrow knocked to her bow as she aimed at the staggering man that had been injured earlier by Asch. Her short, deep blue hair was ruffled slightly by the wind and her startling green eyes were narrowed in concentration, one of them actually shut as she looked down her white-feathered shaft. She released the arrow, and the man fell to the ground with a grunt, the projectile sticking out of his side.

"Hurry, come this way!" she called out as she plucked another arrow from the quiver on her back. Asch didn't need to be told a second time. He slipped past another strike from the final bandit and hurtled toward the gate, leaving a large trail of blood. The enraged foe chased after him, swinging his axe wildly. Several arrows embedded themselves in the brigand's arms, slowing him down, but since Asch was already badly hurt, he was unable to place much ground between them. He stumbled, and the axe-wielder's weapon whooshed through the space where his head had been an instant before. In desperation, Asch turned and thrust his sword upward as he fell, impaling the thug in the chest.

"You…kid…grah!"

Asch cried out in pain as the bestial man's lifeless body fell on top of him, crushing him against the ground and pushing the air from his lungs. The girl leapt from the fence lightly and landed next to him, grabbing the man's shoulder and shoving him off, with no little difficulty. As Asch's vision blurred and his mind drifted, he saw his savior's face looking down at him with concern, saying something that he couldn't make out, and then he lost all consciousness.

CHAPTER ONE END


	2. Chapter 2: Bluehaired Girl incomplete 3

_Author's Note: You may notice that sometimes a chapter will have "incomplete" in the name. This means that the chapter isn't done yet but I have chosen to post part of it anyway. I'll probably be doing this fairly regularly, as I like to have things posted but it takes a while to write stuff. When the chapter no longer says "incomplete," it is finished. I may also make multiple updates to a chapter before its completion, and I'll try to make note of how many updates have been made in the title of the chapter, as well as at the beginning of the chapter._

This is the third update.

-------------------------------------------Chapter Extras--------------------------------------------------

STORY SO FAR:

The blacksmith's son, Asch, while escaping from his village, which was burning at the hands of bandits, was forced into a fight with several of them by the village gate. When faced with deadly combat, his battle spirit awoke within him and he was able to hold his own. Just when he was about to fall, he was rescued by a mysterious blue-haired girl archer. As the last enemy was defeated, he fell unconscious from his many injuries, the last thing he saw the girl's face.

PREVIOUS CHAPTER NEW CHARACTERS:

1) _Name:_ Asch---- _Class:_ Ranger---- _Weapon:_ Sword---- _Level:_ 1---- _Description:_ A brave brown-haired, golden-eyed blacksmith's son who wields a sword for the sake of those he loves.

2) _Name:_ Sara---- _Class:_ Archer---- _Weapon:_ Bow---- _Level:_ 4---- _Description:_ A beautiful blue-haired, green-eyed traveler whose heart yearns for justice.

-----------------------------------Chapter Two: Blue-haired girl--------------------------------------------

When Asch opened his eyes, he found himself staring up at a cloudless blue sky. For an instant, he could not recall why he wasn't on his mattress at the smithy. Then the pain hit him. Agony that he had never felt before consumed his torso, arms, and legs. Gritting his teeth to keep from crying out, he let tears flow from his eyes as memories of the attack on his village flashed through his mind. Everyone and everything he knew was gone forever.

Forcing the images to the back of his mind, Asch tried to figure out where he was. He could tell that he was outdoors and lying on some kind of bedding. He attempted to sit up, but he fell back gasping after moving only a few inches.

_I'm bandaged,_ he thought in surprise. _Someone bandaged all my injuries._ He blinked away his tears and tried to speak.

"Where am I?"

Scarcely more than a few seconds later, he was looking into the kind face of the girl archer who had rescued him when he had been trying to escape from the town. She smiled softly.

"You're awake already," she said with a hint of surprise in her voice. "You've got a lot of stamina. You really shouldn't try to move for a while, though, you got hurt pretty bad." She held up a brown bottle and removed the stopper. "Try to swallow some of this; it's a vulnerary. Here, I'll prop your head up."

Placing the stopper on the ground, she lifted up the boy's head and shoulders slightly, propping them with one of her legs folded underneath. Asch opened his mouth and let her pour a little of the potion in, swallowing it swiftly. The potion tasted disgusting, but it instantly relieved him of most of his pain. He smiled slightly as she lowered him back down and replaced the stopper, setting the vulnerary aside.

"Thank you." He continued to watch her as she worked with something out of his field of vision; he was reluctant to turn his head to see what she was doing for fear of pain. She was a very attractive girl, he thought, with her short blue hair and slender yet sturdy build. Her eyes were a brilliant green, and she had a smooth-featured face. He couldn't recall ever seeing a girl so striking in all his years in the village. His face flashed a brief grin as he remembered several of his friends discussing the village girls. All they seemed to care about were the "measurements" of the girls, and they teased him for his unorthodox preference for the girls with smaller chests and less obvious curves. The smile vanished as he remembered anew that every single one of those boys and the girls they discussed were now dead, slain by axe-wielding, fire-raising thieves.

"Excuse me," he stammered out. "But… who are you?"

She turned back to him and smiled again. "My name is Sara. I'm a traveling archer, wandering about to improve my skills. While I'm at it, I try to help people out as much as I can." Her smile changed, becoming sadder. "I went back into the village after I brought you out, but there wasn't anyone left alive except for the ones who attacked it. I didn't think I could take on that many on my own, so I escaped along with you. I'm sorry."

Tears started again in Asch's eyes, and he fiercely blinked them away. "You don't have to apologize," he said, suppressing a sad sigh. "You saved my life, after all." In an attempt to get his mind away from depression, he changed the subject. "My name is Asch, by the way."

Sara smiled yet again. _By the goddesses,_ Asch thought to himself, _she has the most beautiful smile_. "Well, I'm glad to have been able to help you, Asch. You're far from recovered, though, so I'll still be looking after you for a while, at the very least until you can travel. After that, I can take you to another village if you want." She reached down just out of Asch's view, her expression changing. "By the way, I brought along and cleaned the sword you were using," she added, lifting it up so he could see it. "I thought you might want it; you were holding on to it so tight even after you fell unconscious."

"My dad made it," Asch replied. "It may not be the most amazing work or made of the best material, but it is my father's work. Thank you, Sara." He smiled at her and blinked away the tears that came unbidden again. She smiled back and lay the sword back on the grass.

Asch blinked again, this time because he suddenly felt very tired. Sara noticed his expression and advised, "You should get some more rest. You'll heal faster that way. After all, it hasn't even been a full day since you got injured."

The brown-haired boy closed his eyes and sighed. Life was going to be very different now…. He would never forget what had befallen his village, how easily everything he had held dear had been obliterated, and that he had been powerless even to run away on his own. But for life to continue, for him to be able to face each new dawn, he would keep these memories locked inside, where they would become a motivation to gain new strength rather than a crushing weight holding him back.

_Mother, Father, friends… for all of you, I will live on. I will see the world outside, experience its joys and sorrows… I will live a life full of enough experiences for everyone in the village who will never have another meal or plow another field. Everyone…_

****

Asch woke up and found that his pain had almost completely vanished. He sat up slowly, wincing, and looked about himself in the moonlight. The makeshift camp that the girl Sara had set up was composed of not much more than an assortment of tools, including bandages, a bag of herbs, two vulneraries, some flint, a couple knives, and a backpack to hold it all. She had also set up a small campfire, which was dying out. The girl herself was curled up several feet away from him, next to the fading fire. She was sleeping, but she had a troubled expression, as if in some kind of inner turmoil. Her bow and quiver of arrows lay within arms reach.

Asch looked down at himself. He could see now that the girl had worked on cleansing all of his injuries and had wrapped up only the worst of them. With some embarrassment, he realized that she must have stripped him down to his underwear in order to clean and wrap some of the more serious injuries. She had re-dressed him, though, so he was wearing the same clothes he had been the day his village was attacked. They were considerably torn up, though, so when they got to a town or village he would have to get new clothing.

Looking at his sleeping savior, he pondered what she had said earlier. _She said that she'd look after me until I could travel,_ he thought. _No, that's not true. _At least _until I can travel is what she said. Take me to a village "if I want," huh? I don't really think that by trying to start a peaceful life in some other village I'll be able to live a life full enough for a whole village. Maybe…_ He studied her troubled face. _Maybe she'll let me travel with her._

Asch tried to stand up, and, gritting his teeth against the pain, found that he was capable of it. That medicine was working on his body rather effectively. He'd never had to use such a potion before, as he'd never been so seriously wounded; he was amazed at its restorative powers. It was no wonder that vulneraries were so expensive; one bottle was up in hundreds of gold. Like weapons, vulnerary potions were used primarily by those who made a career of fighting. That thought stopped Asch in his tracks as he followed it to its obvious implications – the girl who had rescued him had not just one, but two vulnerary potions. What was it she had said? "…improve my skills. While I'm at it, I try to help people."

Asch stretched carefully, making sure not to cry out at the pain. Perhaps Sara was a traveling mercenary. That would make sense. It would explain why she had a bow of decent quality and arrows that didn't appear to be shoddy in the least, as well as why she had the vulneraries and bandages. Then again, he had a hard time imagining that beautiful girl as a hardened mercenary. He glanced down at her face reflexively when he heard her give a soft, anguished cry in her sleep. Well, it was possible…

His stomach growled. He surveyed the campsite to see if there was anything to eat. He would have woken Sara, but he wasn't sure whether that was a good idea or not. He spotted what looked like some kind of jerky wrapped in herbs lying on top of some clean bandages adjacent to where he had been lying. The ghost of a smile played on his lips as he realized that she had put it there for him to eat when he woke up. She really was a kind and thoughtful person.

The boy sat down cautiously and unwrapped the meat, taking a bite of it. It was unusual to him, as it had acquired a flavor from the herbs it had been wrapped in as well. He ate it in silence, pondering his future and the blue-haired beauty who had given him the chance to have one. When he finished, he lay back down and closed his eyes again. What awaited him the following day, he wondered. He half-grinned as he replied aloud, "The beginning of a grand journey."

****

The next morning found the young boy and girl packed and walking together. When the two of them had woken up, Asch had expressed his desire to travel with her, as well as the need to purchase new clothes. Sara had agreed to both, and after being assured that he could travel, albeit slowly, the two of them had set off for the nearest village. Sara had informed her companion that at the pace they were moving, it would take three to four days to reach their destination, a settlement known as Calwat.

Calwat wasn't particularly notable for anything except for its richest resident. He was a miserly individual named Lor Gigan who fancied himself a nobleman, despite being a commoner by birth. Through his rather dubious trade as a merchant, he had achieved enough capital to have a minor mansion built and hire a number of servants. Renowned for his arrogance, Lor Gigan had titled himself Lord Lor and hired a small number of mercenaries as his army. The real nobles of the area had deemed him to be too weak to be a threat and left him alone, but within the boundaries of Calwat it was foolish for a normal person to try to oppose him.

Sara informed Asch of these details as they traveled. When the conversation entered a lull, Asch decided to take the opportunity to find out more about his new companion.

"So, where are you from, Sara?" he queried.

"Here and there, I guess. Originally, I'm from the Melbme Territory, but I haven't been there in three years. Did you know that where we are now, the Erif Territory, and the Melbme Territory used to be one place? They were both part of the Flame Kingdom, back before the Elder Republic took it over 20 years ago."

"Really? My dad never really talked about what it was like when we were Flame Kingdom. I don't really know much about history. Why did it get split up like that?"

"I don't know. The Elder Republic didn't split up most of the places it took over."

"Hm." _Well, that didn't tell me anything about Sara. I wonder if that was on purpose or not?_ "Well, what made you decide to travel? Do you have any family?"

There was a short period of silence while the archer appeared to be thinking of how to phrase her answer. "I don't have any family any longer. They died four years ago, in a manner very similar to how yours did. I decided to travel to become more skilled in order to be able to protect myself and others."

"I…see. You've had it hard."

She turned to face him, smiling. "Don't worry about it. I've made it this far. Now I'll help you pull through too. It's a promise."

He couldn't keep himself from smiling back. "Thank you."

Over the next few days, the young travelers talked at length on numerous topics. Sara learned about her companion's life before she had met him, while he in turn was educated on her traveling experiences. When Asch realized that she wasn't going to elaborate on the time before her travels began, he gave up attempting to find out about it. On the evening of the third day, she suddenly pointed out the town, which had become visible when they had crested a large hill.

"Wow, I didn't think we'd make it today. You heal fast."

"No, that's thanks to the medicine and assistance you gave me."

The two of them were glad when they finally reached the town's gates. They were met by a young man suited up in faded yellow armor bearing a lance. After looking them over and noting that they were armed, the apparent soldier halted them.

"What business do you have in Calwat, travelers?" he asked in a stiff voice.

Sara responded, "Food, shelter, clothes, and supplies, sir." She frowned slightly. "If you don't mind my asking, why is the gate guarded? It wasn't when last I was here." Asch glanced at her sideways before returning his gaze to the lance-bearing gatekeeper. The armored man shifted his stance slightly, as if slightly uncomfortable.

"Well," he replied after a slight hesitation, "there have been increasing numbers of bandit attacks in the surrounding area, and Lord Lor ordered that a guard be placed at the entrance to the town every hour of the day and night. To be honest, though, I'm not sure what good it will do to have only one man barring the way if we do get attacked." He cleared his throat and spoke once more in his original tone. "Since you appear not to be bandits, you are free to enter." He stepped aside and let them pass.

Asch looked back over his shoulder at the guard, who was now leaning casually against the wall, his lance beside him. The man was right, a single soldier (or would it be more accurate to say mercenary?) would not be much more than a stumbling block if an entire bandit gang decided to target the settlement. He earnestly hoped that this town would not be attacked; he didn't want anyone else to have to suffer the same kind of loss that had torn his life apart just days ago. He snapped back into reality when he walked right into someone and stumbled slightly.

The young girl with whom he had collided bowed her head and apologized rapidly before taking off down an alley. He blinked several times, still unsure of what exactly had happened. Sara held in a laugh as she watched his perplexed expression.

"Just be glad that _I_ was the one with the money," she snickered, her green eyes sparkling.

Asch turned his confused gaze to his friend. "You mean… that was a pickpocket?"

Sara nodded an covered her mouth while her shoulders shook with laughter. Asch put on an annoyed expression and looked at her disapprovingly. About half a minute later she had calmed down and explained.

"In towns and larger settlements, you have to keep your wits about you. There are all kinds of people, both good and bad. That girl purposely ran into you, so I'm pretty sure she was a thief. She probably expected that either both of us would have money or that just you would. I almost feel a little sorry for her."

"Sorry for her? A thief?" Asch's voice showed a hint of anger. Her looked away and said, "Bandits and thieves, they're all the same."

The blue-haired archer's expression softened and she replied apologetically, "I…I'm sorry, Asch, I didn't mean it like that. Besides, there really is a difference between the brigands that attacked your home and street pickpockets like that girl. The bandits will attack and kill, but she's probably just trying to survive." She sighed and put her hand on his arm. "Let's get to an inn for now and do our shopping tomorrow. We're both tired and you need your rest."

"Y-yeah…" he turned and looked her in the eyes. "And I'm sorry too. I shouldn't be getting angry at you. You saved my life, and now you're my companion and my friend." As he spoke those words and saw the happiness in her eyes, he found himself wondering about how amazing those green eyes really were. He shook himself slightly and added, "So let's go ahead to the inn. You've been here before, so you can lead the way."

****

"Brown with streaks of blue. I think this outfit suits me."

Asch handed over some coins to pay for his new clothing and placed his old tattered clothing into the backpack he had purchased earlier. Sara had given him some money to spend that morning and then the two of them had split up to take care of their business. So far, the villager from Milander had purchased the backpack, a belt and sheath for his sword, some traveling rations, a few trinkets, and now the new outfit. Counting the money that he had left, he discovered that he only had about fifty gold.

_I can't believe I'm thinking about fifty gold as an "only."_ He shook his head, amazed. _But the truth is, fifty isn't enough to purchase much of anything that's useful for a fighter. I can buy a lot of things for travel, but I really should save in case I absolutely need to get something fighting-related, like a vulnerary. I have a feeling that we are going to be fighting a lot; kind of like a premonition_.

He replaced the money in its pouch and exited the store. There was some kind of commotion a few blocks away; he could hear people shouting. Curious, he followed the noise. Turning a corner, he experienced his first view of how many of Lor's mercenaries treated the townsfolk.

A tall man in light green leather armor with a wide sword strapped to his back was standing over middle-aged man who looked as though he had been pushed down. Flanking the mercenary were two other men of similar stature and weaponry. Behind the fallen man and around the whole spectacle were numerous other townspeople, obviously too afraid to do anything.

"So, you think you can just say 'I'm sorry, sir!' and get away with bumping into me, eh?" the sneering swordsman said, making his quote a high-pitched whine to mock the civilian. He leaned down and smirked. "That's not good enough, little man. You gotta treat Lord Lor's soldiers with a lotta respect and appreciation. After all, we're the only soldiers here to protect you from bandits, you know." His smirk broadened into an unpleasant grin. "Now, bow down and say, 'I am but a lowly peasant and beg for your forgiveness, great soldier sir!'"

Shaking fearfully, the man got up onto his knees and bowed, replying, "I-I am but a l-lowly p-peasant and b-beg for your forgiveness, g-great soldier sir!" His nervousness showed in his stammer every bit as much as his shaking body.

The mercenary wasn't done yet. "Now, now," he said, shaking his finger, "That wasn't very sincere, was it? I want it loud and clear! Say it!" He punctuated his last command with a kick, much to the amusement of his companions.

Touching his forehead to the pavement, the man responded fervently, "I am but a lowly peasant and beg for your forgiveness, great soldier sir!"

Nodding, the "soldier" knelt down beside the townsman. "That's more like it, gramps! Now, you need to do one more thing and I'll forgive you. I need a little gift of appreciation for guarding the town." The man looked up. "I think that this will do," the swordsman said decisively, picking up a ring that lay on the ground next to him, where it had obviously fallen when the bully had pushed his target.

The man's eyes widened and he attempted to stand, protesting as the swordsman stood and turned to leave. "S-sir, but sir, that was to be a present for my wife! Please don't take it!"

He was cut off as one of the mercenary's companion shoved him to the side, declaring, "Oh, don't worry. It'll be in even better hands now. Aren't you such a generous guy!" The three of them roared with laughter as they walked down the street away from where Asch was standing.

Asch shook with rage and shame. He had just stood there and watched the man get robbed! The truth was that he had been afraid to interfere; if there had only been one opponent, he would have taken his chances, but he wasn't confident enough to take on three skilled enemies at once. He was disgusted with his own helplessness. Holding in his anger, he went over to where the victim was being helped up by several other townsfolk. The middle-aged man buried his face in his hands. Asch ground his teeth as he approached. That ring must have cost the man quite a bit.

He stopped suddenly, recognizing one of those comforting the robbed individual. It was the girl from earlier! He was positive it was her, what with her distinctive purple outfit and pale green hair. Now that he got a closer look, he was sorry for judging her as harshly as he had; she was only a child, perhaps 12 years old. She was reassuring the man of something.

"Don't worry," Asch heard her say, "I won't let them get away with that. I'll get the ring back for you, never you fear!" Asch tried not to look amazed. That little girl was going to try to steal from the mercenaries working for the most influential person in town?

He wasn't the only one who thought the task impossible. An elderly woman nearby cautioned her, "Do not try, child, it would only anger Lor Gigan and his men. They might kill you."

The girl was adamant. "When Lucy says she'll do something, she'll do it! I'm going to take that ring away from those soldiers and bring it back to you, sir. Nothing can stop me!" With that, she ran off after the swordsmen.

Asch in turn ran to find Sara. He might have let those soldiers get away, but he wasn't going to let that little girl get herself killed. He knew he wouldn't be able to catch up and probably wouldn't be much help by himself, so enlisting the aid of his companion seemed the wisest choice. Finding the girl and her adversaries would have to wait until he was sure that he could fight back.

As it happened, the brown-haired boy nearing collided with his friend when she walked out of a building directly in front of him. Skidding to a stop, Asch waved his arms to keep his balance. Immediately Sara knew something was wrong; her partner was breathing hard and had just been running at top speed. She turned to him in concern, waiting for him to catch his breath.

"That girl – the pickpocket – she's in trouble!" he gasped out. "Some soldiers were bullying an innocent man and robbed him of a ring he bought for his wife, and she went to go get it back!" He paused, winded. Continuing, he hurried on, "She's just a kid! She doesn't stand a chance against armed men! We've got to do something, Sara!"

The blue-haired girl waited until Asch's breathing evened out before responding. "Okay, I think I understood what you just said." She nodded decisively. "All right. Let's help her. But first, where did she go?"

Asch pointed over toward the correct direction. Sara raised her eyebrows. "That's toward the mansion! We'd better hurry and hope that we can catch them before they go inside, or we're going to be in trouble. Come on, Asch!" She grabbed his hand and started swiftly in the direction he had indicated. As he followed her, his attention was fragmented, focusing on very different things. First, the urgency he felt in needing to rescue the young thief. Second, the amazement that Sara could run so fast. And then, a part of his mind was thinking about the fact that Sara was holding onto his hand. He knew that that really should surprise him or be that important, as she had bandaged him and helped him while he was recovering, but the heart and mind are rather funny things.

Suddenly he grimaced and pain shot through his body. He had completely forgotten about his lingering pain from his injuries in all of the excitement and had pushed himself hard, perhaps too hard. Banishing the thought from his mind, he steeled himself for the inevitable fight that was to follow.

It seemed only seconds later that they had arrived at the self-styled lord's manor. They were too late.

Asch let himself fall to his knees and bury his face in his hands. Deep within the courtyard, one of the fighters was carrying an unconscious Lucy toward the mansion, saying something about locking her up. Sara knelt down beside the despairing Asch.

"I know we got here too late to stop the fight," she said softly, placing her arm around Asch's shoulders, "but that doesn't mean we failed." She gently pulled his hands away from his face and looked him in the eyes. "They didn't kill her, and that means we still have an opportunity to save her. We'll just have to figure out how to get inside to rescue her."

Asch looked at her hopefully, and she nodded. He smiled, his determination returning full force. She smiled back, and the two of them stood up simultaneously. She glanced up at the sky.

"Assuming they are only going to lock the girl up, she'll probably stay unharmed for the rest of the day, and it will be much easier to sneak in at night. Let's take a look around the outside of the mansion and come up with a plan."

****

Luck was on the side of the would-be rescuers, and they did not have to wait for nightfall. Despite the aggressive behavior of the mercenaries employed by the miserly "noble," they were sorely lacking when it came to vigilance. After scouting around the outside of the manor grounds, the two travelers located a swath of land where no one seemed to patrol. Scaling the fence around the property looked to be the only challenge to getting safely to the building itself, and by good fortune there happed to be an open first-story window in the non-patrolled area. Asch and Sara thoroughly double-checked the surrounding area for any potential difficulties, spending several hours waiting to make sure of the lack of security. When they had determined it was safe to attempt entry, they both agreed that waiting longer unnecessarily would serve no purpose and began their mission.

Asch had considerably more difficulty in climbing the fence than his archer comrade, which came as no surprise. After all, when he had first met her, she had been standing on top of the gateway to his village. However, they managed to both cross the barrier and made their way quickly across the grounds, keeping as low to the ground as they could on the off-chance that the guards suddenly decided to be more competent. This too was accomplished without challenge, and the next step was the actual infiltration.

Asch began to worry by the time they had gone down several halls and checked several rooms without running into any resistance. _Even if security is lax, something just doesn't seem right about this,_ he thought anxiously, peering into yet another luxurious yet empty room. It was almost as though the section of the building they were investigating was abandoned. _Why, though? Sure, this Lor person hired a bunch of slackards to serve as his personal army, but this is a little bit ridiculous._ He glanced uneasily at his green-eyed partner in crime and saw unease mirrored in her expression. He looked up and down the red-carpeted, walled, and ceilinged hall. There was no sign of anyone approaching.

Sara peeked into another room and then walked over to him. Furrowing her brow, she suggested in a low voice, "I think we should stop checking these halls and search for stairs to the basement. If Lor is anything like I think he is, he will have build some semblance of dungeons in the below-ground part of his home. Besides," – here she glanced down the hallway with clear discomfort – "something about this part of the building strikes me as odd…and it makes me uneasy. Why have we seen no signs of any of Lor's mercenaries?"

Asch nodded. "I know what you mean – I feel that way too. It's kind of spooky, like this place has been completely deserted by the master of the house. What I can't figure out is _why_. Everything looks perfectly normal." He grinned despite himself. "Well, as normal as giant rooms filled with huge beds, perfect tables, and matching sets of elaborate furniture can be."

Sara couldn't help but smile at that. She turned and began leading the way down the hall, Asch following a few steps behind. They were still attempting to move cautiously. It wasn't much longer before they reached a dead end. Asch was ready to turn around and try another direction, but Sara was staring intently at the wall in front of them. Asch looked at her curiously.

"What is it?"

Sara continued to gaze at the wall, as if perplexed by something. She reached out her hand and ran it down the fabric on the wall at head height. Her eyes widened, and to Asch it seemed that she had suddenly realized something. She turned back to him, putting on a cheery face and replied, "It's nothing. Let's go back and see if the stairs are the other direction."

The villager suppressed his misgivings and the two of them returned the way they had come. Several hours later, they had searched the entirety of the red-surrounded area of the house, finding neither stairs nor any way to access the rest of the building. Nowhere did they encounter any of Lor Gigan's men. Surreptitiously, Asch glanced at his friend's face when they had seen the final room. Though she was trying to hide it, she was clearly worried about something. Asch couldn't hold himself back any longer.

"Sara," he said, facing her fully. "What is this place? It doesn't look like it's connected to the rest of the mansion in any accessible way. It's completely deserted. You know something, don't you?"

"Yes…" she said hesitantly after a few moments. "I know that we need to find the window we entered through and get out of here as soon as possible. We'll have to wait for night to sneak in after all."

"That doesn't answer the question," he persisted.

She looked down at the carpet. "Asch, I need you to trust me. I've seen things in my four years of travel, and before that as well, that you can't even imagine. Please, don't ask me to explain. It's better if you don't know."

"But –"

"Please." She looked up and locked eyes. What Asch saw scared him. There was a desperation in those green eyes, a fear – no, a terror, and above all an intense pleading. Whatever this nameless thing she knew, it must be horrible indeed. His curiosity grew exponentially, but he could not bear the look in her eyes.

"A-all right," he managed to say, never looking away. "I won't ask you again. We'll get out of here and find another way in. Just…" – his expression softened and became compassionate – "please don't look at me like that." Without thinking, he put his arms around her and pulled her into an embrace. Her eyes widened and changed to express her surprise. He held her for a few seconds before suddenly realizing what he was doing. He quickly let her go and stammered an apology.

"I-I'm sorry! I-I didn't mean to – to, I-I mean –"

Still slightly in shock, Sara immediately responded, "N-no, it's all right, I'm not upset with you." She smiled. "Thank you for caring."

Shifting his foot slightly and averting his face, he mumbled, "Well, we're friends. And friends care about each other, right?"

Still smiling, she answered, "Right. … Now let's get out of here."

****

By the time night rolled around, they had decided on their plan. They would climb the fence in the same spot as before, but then they would try to get in through one of the side entrances to the building, of which there were several. All of them were guarded by a single soldier, but the one nearest their point of entry to the grounds seemed to be the safest choice for several reasons. First, it was closest, which lessened the chance of discovery before they reached to door. Second, the particular guard assigned to that entry looked as though he was sleeping during the day, and when they checked to see if he had been replaced, they found that he was still there, actually snoring. Finally, though it was close to the walled-off portion of the building, based on what they had seen inside, it didn't lead there, so it would provide access to where they wanted. Once they got inside, they would search for stairs to the basement and look for the young thief.

The stealth mission went into operation a few hours after sunset. Asch and Sara climbed over the fence and silently crept up to the building, hugging the wall as they inched toward the entrance of choice. Asch, who was in front, was a mere two feet away from the sleeping guard when the plan went wrong. He stumbled slightly, his boot catching on a rock jutting out of the ground. Pressing himself against the wall to keep from falling, he winced inwardly when he heard the hilt of his sword hit against the stonework. The sound wasn't extremely loud, but it was enough to rouse the one who was sleeping.

It happened so quickly that Asch wasn't even sure what _had_ happened. The lean young man stood instantly upright and alert, whipping out his thin-bladed steel sword and pointing it at the boy's neck. The red-haired mercenary, who, Asch had noted earlier, was wearing no armor, stared at the boy with piercing violet eyes. He lifted the corner of his mouth in a half-smile.

"And who might the two of you be?" he asked in a conversational tone, as if they had come over for a chat over a drink. He looked over at Sara pleasantly as she reached for her bow. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. I could kill both of you before you could knock an arrow." She stopped and lowered her hand. He looked back at Asch expectantly. The boy was looking down at the blade aimed at his throat with something of fear in his eyes. He gulped.

"I-we, I mean…"

"Just answer the question, please. It's not that hard, really. I mean, all you have to do is say, 'Hello, my name is Dirk. I'm a myrmidon working for a corrupted merchant in order to get gold, but nothing has happened lately so I'm really bored.' Except, you know, replace it with information about yourself." He seemed to be enjoying himself.

Asch blinked and looked strangely at the mercenary, whom he presumed was named Dirk, all fears forgotten. "You're kind of strange," he said.

"So are you," responded Dirk.

_Wha?_ "Er… hello, my name is Asch. I'm a traveler who is trying to rescue a young girl imprisoned inside that mansion for trying to retrieve a ring stolen from a townsman by one of the mercenaries who work here."

Dirk cocked his head. "Really? The other men are that bad, are they? Well, that's no good. Is the beauty with you also trying to rescue the damsel in distress?"

Sara decided to answer. "Yes. My name is Sara, and I am helping Asch."

Dirk closed his eyes as if thinking something over. When he opened them, he lowered his sword and turned to open the door, sticking the key, which he had in his other hand, into the lock and turning it. He pulled the door open and gestured for the other two to enter. Asch stared at him, dumbfounded.

Dirk smiled pleasantly. "I'm bored," he said by way of explanation. "And I don't like it when innocent people get bullied or robbed. I'm not a fan of kidnappers, either. So, brave Asch and beautiful Sara, I will assist you in your endeavor. Should we run into hostiles, I'm sure my sword hand can prove useful. Come, let us go. I can lead you to where she's probably being held once we're inside."

Sara seemed to take him at his word, and Asch trusted Sara, so minutes later the three of them were sneaking down the blue-colored halls toward the stairs, dodging into open rooms to avoid being seen by the few patrolling mercenaries. Most of the soldiers, however, were standing at their posts in positions that made it seem likely they were sleeping leaning against the wall, and they managed to pass unnoticed all the way to the stairwell. Sure enough, Dirk led them down the stairs, and they ended up in a bare stone hallway. Dirk beckoned them close.

"Gigan is really rather vain and foolish, so his underground is set up very inefficiently in order for it to suit his aesthetic," he whispered. "He has combined a number of different areas into a series of corridors, passages, and rooms down here. In addition to his dungeon, which is where the girl should be, there are all kinds of storage rooms, from wines to empty boxes to valuable treasures. Of course, most of his treasures should be locked up, which is a real shame. I don't suppose either of you can pick locks?"

Asch shook his head, as did Sara. "Maybe our damsel can," the myrmidon mused. "I guess we'll have to ask her when we free her."

"I thought you hated robbery?" Asch whispered back.

"Robbing _innocent_ people," Dirk clarified. Asch stifled a chuckle.

Dirk navigated his way around the stone-walled passageways, careful to make sure they weren't spotted by any of the guards. It was a bit nerve-wracking, but eventually they made it to an open area that had several locked cells without confrontation. There was a single warden standing guard, keys on his belt. Or rather, there was a single warden sitting at a wooden table in the center, slumped over in obvious sleep, keys on his belt. Which he wasn't wearing, but instead it was lying on the table at which he was slumped.

Dirk was the one who took the initiative. He crept up to the him and picked up the keys carefully, belt and all. Sara stayed back at the entrance to the area to keep watch, bow at the ready, while Asch followed Dirk. The two swordsmen had no trouble locating the cell with the young green-haired girl. She was sleeping at the side of the cell, her head leaning on the wall. Asch was relieved to see that she was uninjured. Dirk inserted the key in the lock and turned, but he hesitated before opening the door.

"Asch," he whispered suddenly, "this is probably going to make some noise. It might be a good idea to knock out the warden…I mean, he is asleep, but he might wake up. If you lay him out cold, that possibility disappears."

Asch nodded. He walked back over to the guard, took his sword, and bashed the man in the temple with the hilt. The man jerked, but he didn't do anything else.

Dirk opened the cell door, and it creaked very loudly, the sound echoing through the area. The prisoner awoke with a start to see Dirk smiling at her in a very relaxed way. Her blue eyes looked questioningly at him, but he just took the keys and walked back to the table, where he set them down again. Cautiously, the girl exited the cell and walked up to her rescuers, recognizing Asch immediately.

"It's you!" she exclaimed in surprise. Asch gave her a little smile.

"Yeah, it's me," he said in a quiet voice. "You shouldn't be so loud. Someone might have heard the door, and if they didn't, they might hear your voice. My friend and I came to rescue you, and Dirk is helping us too."

Dirk leaned down close to her. "Can you pick locks?" he asked conspiratorially. She gave him an odd look and then nodded. "Good," he said, pleased. "There's a lot of treasure down here, but it's locked up. Do you think you can help with that? You get a cut of it, of course."

Asch was very amused with this exchange, but it was interrupted by Sara.

"Look sharp, someone's coming!"


End file.
